A group of rising seniors in Boston Public Schools explored Dorchester’s art scene last month in kicking off their internships through the Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI) program. The students participated in various workshops at the Strand Theatre and Humphrey Street Studios on July 15.

The BAI program offers students paid opportunities to focus on college and career readiness in areas ranging from professional coaching to art exploration.

“Arts and culture is a huge part of our work with Bloomberg’s internship program,” said Nicole Olusanya, the director of BPS Arts Expansion for EdVestors, which organizes the Boston BAI program. “These days we’re doing excursions where we’re exposing young people to arts and culture opportunities around the city and to let them know that these opportunities are here for them.”

The Strand in Uphams Corner offers pay-as-you want tickets while highlighting actors of color in many of their productions. The nearby Humphrey Street Studios acts as an affordable studio space for local artists.

At the Strand, students participated in a tour of the theatre and a writing workshop, courtesy of Company One’s education program. Afterward, they walked to Humphrey Street Studios where they rotated through three workshops with plant artist Cassandra Desroches, fashion designer Jahzara, and Crazygoodz owners Wilson and Elson Fortes.

Desroches conducted a workshop on building terrariums. Jahzara introduced the students to fabric work and hand stitching. And Wilson and Elson Fortes enlightened the interns on working with different fabrics and their impact on clothing.

For students like Hannah Nunez, these activities have opened her eyes to other available career options. Since she was in the sixth grade, she has dreamed of going into the medical field but there was always a part of her that she left for music. Nunez, 17, is learning there’s more than one career path for her if she desires.

“Now that I’m in the program I’m starting to realize that maybe music and graphic design and things like that, maybe that is a pathway for me,” said Nunez. “We really have the opportunity to meet new people and see different fields that we may not have thought about and hear advice from different people who have grown and flourished in the arts. It really opens a pathway for many of us.”

These workshops not only introduce the students to more professional pathways but hey also serve to bring them out of their shells. Natalia Thomas, 17, has always identified herself as quite shy, but she loved meeting new people.

“I really do love the cohort days. I love connecting with new people that I haven’t met before and learning new things,” she said.

BAI will spend the rest of the program splitting time between career readiness and arts and culture exposure for their summer interns.

“For teens who are in the program, they are surrounded by so many professionals in the career that they think that they want to have. So, if they show up and they take risks and be their best selves, people see that. So, they’re networking for their career can begin at a really young age.”